FDA approves new formulation of GSK drug

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new formulation of a drug for bipolar disorder and epilepsy that dissolves on the tongue.

Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline announced Monday that the FDA had approved Lamictal ODT (lamotrigine), which the company said provides the drug with a pleasant taste.

“Patients with epilepsy or bipolar disorder can have difficulty swallowing tablets,” George Washington University Department of Psychichiatry and Behavioral Sciences associate professor Daniel Lieberman sates. “Unfortunately, this problem may go unrecognized because many patients don’t discuss this issue with their healthcare providers.”